Slimes-separator.



H. Gf NICHOLS.

SLIMES SBPARATOR.

PPLIOATION FILED 00.1215, 1907.

Patented Sept. 22, 1,908.

HORACE G. NICHOLS, OF YMIR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

SLIMES-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 22, 190s.

Application filed October 15, 1907. Serial N o. 397,468.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known 'that I, HORACE G. N IoHoLs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in Ymir, British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slimes-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved slimes-separator by which the slimes or sand and slimes from which the .valuable contents have been extracted by cyanid from gold and silver ores are separated from the valuable solution, or generally for extracting the solid contents from mill tailings.

The handling of slimes in the cyanid treatment of gold and silver ores `has constituted for some time a serious problem, for the reason that decantation is impossible in the majority of cases, and that for .accomplishing the filter presses and vacuum filters have been necessary for separating the slimes from the valuable solutions of the gold and silver ores after these latter have done their work and extracted the gold and silver from the ore.

The object of the invention is to furnish a slimes-separator in which the slimes or slimes and sand are removed` from the solution mechanically in a very simple and efficient manner, a conveyer-belt being used for this purpose. Provision is also made for washing the slimes until they are completely freed from any valuable solution that is taken along as moisture adhering thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a diagrammatic side-elevationv of my irnproved slimes-separator, and Fig. 2 is a planview of the same. v

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In my improved slimes-separator, the combination of a tank z and pointed box or settler a is used. The tank is made of triangular shape, and at the deeper portion of the samesthe pointed box ranged. A conveyer-belt d is guided over pulleys located res ectively at the upper and lower corners of t e tank at the deeper end of the same, and guide pulleys arranged above the tank above the level .of the solution inthe tank. One of the guide-pulleys above the level of the tank at the pointed end receives power from a suitable belt and pulley transmission.

In practice the pointed .box or settler may also be used as the agitator in which the proseparation all kinds of complicated or settler a 1s aror gate, for establishing and interrupting the connection between the charge in the agitator and the solution in the tank in which the belt travels. In the agitator is arranged a vertical shaft g which is supported in suitable step and neck bearings, and which is-provided with arms carrying paddles so as to keep the cyanid solution in motion While the extracting process is going on. The agitating shaft is rotated by bevel-gears and a suitable transmission shaft, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1.

The slimes or slimes and sand which are carried over by the 4belt from the agitator and tank may be washedand thereby freed from any valuable solution that is carriedover, as moisture, by delivering the slimes into a second settler b above a tank h1 which is also provided with a traveling' conveyerbelt cZl in the same manner as the tank of the solution or water, While a third tank h2 and settler c may be used for still further washing out the valuable solution. The third tank c is also provided with an endless'traveling belt d2. The belts may be arranged at the same level in line with each other, or the first settler may be located above the agitator and the-second settler above the iirst so as to provide in this manner means for the circulation of the solution without pumping from the third settler to the agitator. Clear water is added from time to time through a pipe f to the last settler to compensate for the percentage of moisture carried over to Waste by the traveling belt and thus Vinsure a weakening of the cyanide solution held in the settlers from the rst to the last.

Circulating pipes e are arranged between the last settler and the first settler and between the first settler and the agitator so as to connect the upper end of one settler with the upper end of the next settler and agitator so as to provide for the overflow caused by the supply of water to the last settler.

The advantage of the traveling belt for agitator, and which is filled with a weaker taking out the slimes or sand-carrying slimes l is that the separating operation is carried on with greater acility and expedition than by the meansheretofore employed for separating the slimes.

In any settling tank, the action of settling of the solid particles suspended in the liquid is facilitated by the removal of the solid matter deposited as quickly and as rapidly as possible, Without disturbance, and this principle has been applied in the present invention by causing the traveling belt to pass close under the bottom of the settler, so that just as quickly as the solid matter settles to the bottom of the settlers, and is deposited on the traveling belt, the latter quickly and continuously removes it. At the same time, as the liquid in the settler is relieved of this deposited matter, the further depositing action, as the fresh ore pulp is supplied to said settler, is facilitated.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. ln a slimes separator, the combination of a tank, a settler Within same, and a conveyer belt Within the tank upon which the slimes are deposited 'from said settler.

2. In a slimes separator, the combination of a tank Jfor the cyanid solution, a settler Within said tank, an endless conveyer belt Within said tank upon which the slimes are de r)osited Jfrom said settler, said conveyer belt being movable in upward direction, and means for Washing the slimes carried olf by said belt.

3. ln a slimes separator, the combination of a series of tanks, a settler within each said tank respectively, and a conveyer belt within each tank each of which belts carries the slimes out of its tank.

4. ln a slimes separator, the combination of tanks for the cyanid solution, a settler Within each tank and a conveyer belt within one of said tanks which receives the slimes deposited by the settler of said tank and discharges them into the next settler, and 4a conveyer belt in the last tank which discharges the slimes Jfrom said tank.

5. A separator for removing the slimes Jfrom cyanid solutions, comprising a pointed box or settler, a tank surrounding said settler, and an endless conveyer belt guided over the bottom of the tank inside to a point above the level of the solution in the tank and settler and guided exteriorly under the bottom of the tank and back to the inside.

6. ln a slimes separator, the combination ol a settler in Which the Wet ore pulp 'supply is charged, and which has an oliening in the bottom, a conveyer belt passing below said opening and adapted to receive and early oli' the slimes deposited through said opening` from said settler onto said belt, and a container in which said conveyer belt and bottom opening of the settler are inclosed so as to maintain the desired height ol liquid in said settler.

7. ln a slimes-separator, the combination oi' a tank for the cyanid solution, a settler within said tank, an endless conveyer-belt within said tank upon which the slimes are deposited 'from said settler, said conveyerbelt being movable in upward direction, and means for washing the slimes carried oll by said belt.

8. A separator for removing the slimes from cyanid solutions, comprising a pointed box or settler, means for agitating the cyanid solution and ore in the same, a tank surrounding said agitator, and an endless conveyer-belt guided over the inside and outside of the tank to a point above the level o'l the solution in the tank and settler.

9. ln a slimes-separator, the combination of tanks for the cyanid solution, a settler within each tank, and a conveyer-belt within one ol' said tanks which receives the slimes deposited by the settler ol said tank and discharges them into the next settler.

l0. In a slimes separator, the combination of a plurality of tanks, a settler within each tank, and convcyer-belts within the tanks which carry the slimes deposited by one settler and discharge them into the settler of the adjacent tank.

l1. The combination of a pointed box or settler, a tank surrounding the same, and endless conveyer-belt guided over the inside and outside of said tank below the agitator, one or more additional settlers, tanks, and conveyer-belts for removing` the slimes `l'rom one tank to the other until the `gold and silver containing cyanid solution is washed out olE the same, a supply-pipe 'lor the last settler, and overflow-pipes between the settlers.

In testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my invention, l have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE G. NlGl-IOLS. Witnesses RAYNER lV. HrN'roN, ROBT. F. IRWIN. 

